Navigation in e-readers

[HarryHutton]

Just to clarify guys, I'm not saying we should go back to pbacks - I'm suggesting e-readers could benefit from intuitive navigation.

[eschwartz]

It seems pretty darn intuitive to me...

Tap on the left, it turns back. Tap on the right, it turns right. <-- Fully matches every last capability a pbook has.
Tap on top, and you can get a popdown list of chapters to jump to, or you can type into a search bar. <-- Bonuses.


How about this -- say what you mean.
I fear your pbook comparison has confused everybody.

While you are at it -- let's see some suggested improvements, rather than merely saying there *should* be some.

[latepaul]

Paper books are only intuitive once you've learned how they work. Give one to a toddler and see how they get on.

What makes more difference is, once you've learned the interface, is it consistent, logical. Can you sort of tell how to do X based on knowing how to do Y (which is similar but different) Stupid example would be if the control for next page is tap on the right but back a page is swipe down - not consistent. No-one would do that, but it demonstrates the point.

[theducks]

Originally Posted by latepaul

Paper books are only intuitive once you've learned how they work. Give one to a toddler and see how they get on.

What makes more difference is, once you've learned the interface, is it consistent, logical. Can you sort of tell how to do X based on knowing how to do Y (which is similar but different) Stupid example would be if the control for next page is tap on the right but back a page is swipe down - not consistent. No-one would do that, but it demonstrates the point.

Page??

I learned to read on a Scroll (rolls at the top and bottom)

[murg]

Originally Posted by latepaul

Paper books are only intuitive once you've learned how they work. Give one to a toddler and see how they get on.

They go in the mouth and get slobbered on. Everyone know that.

[RobertDDL]

Originally Posted by theducks

Page??

I learned to read on a Scroll (rolls at the top and bottom)

No, it doesn't. Not proper scrolls as they were used in antiquity, that is. To quote Wikipedia: "The scroll is usually unrolled so that one page is exposed at a time, for writing or reading, with the remaining pages rolled up to the left and right of the visible page. It is unrolled from side to side, and the text is written in lines from the top to the bottom of the page." Text on a scroll consists of pages.

[RobertDDL]

Originally Posted by eschwartz

It seems pretty darn intuitive to me...

Tap on the left, it turns back. Tap on the right, it turns right. <-- Fully matches every last capability a pbook has.
Tap on top, and you can get a popdown list of chapters to jump to, or you can type into a search bar. <-- Bonuses.

Sounds pretty intuitive to me, too. Is this how other ebook readers work? Mine doesn't...

(Which is not the only reason why I actually prefer reading pbooks in most cases, if I have the choice, but I know this is not the place to talk about one's deviant behavior...)

[shalym]

Originally Posted by RobertDDL

Sounds pretty intuitive to me, too. Is this how other ebook readers work? Mine doesn't...

(Which is not the only reason why I actually prefer reading pbooks in most cases, if I have the choice, but I know this is not the place to talk about one's deviant behavior...)

Sounds like maybe you need a new ebook reader?

Shari

[kacir]

Originally Posted by eschwartz

Tap on the left, it turns back. Tap on the right, it turns right. <-- Fully matches every last capability a pbook has.

Readers that are configured like that (and can't be reconfigured) infuriate me. The only thing that is worse is when you have to swipe to turn page. Bloody skeuomorphism.
How am I supposed to turn page when holding the reader in a left hand?

[dickloraine]

Originally Posted by kacir

Readers that are configured like that (and can't be reconfigured) infuriate me. The only thing that is worse is when you have to swipe to turn page. Bloody skeuomorphism.
How am I supposed to turn page when holding the reader in a left hand?

With your right hand, just as with a paper book oh, and swiping is actually good, if you can manage to do it with your left thumb, then you don't need your right hand.
But of course I understand what you mean and in this conversation being able to easily turn a page only with one hand is better than on paper books (I know you can do it there too, but it has to be a small book and isn't that easy and you risk to damage the book).

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by kacir

How am I supposed to turn page when holding the reader in a left hand?

That's where swiping is best. You just more your thumb a little bit past the left bezel and swipe the screen to the left. The page then turns. I've been doing it that way since the 650 came out.

Page turning with a pBook usually requires TWO hands. One to hold the pBook and rhw other to turn the page.

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by RobertDDL

Sounds pretty intuitive to me, too. Is this how other ebook readers work? Mine doesn't...

(Which is not the only reason why I actually prefer reading pbooks in most cases, if I have the choice, but I know this is not the place to talk about one's deviant behavior...)

Kindles work this way, and I imagine there are other ereaders that do the same or similar ... I don't know, what does your Pocketbook (according to profile) do? Hopefully at least the tap-to-turn...

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by kacir

Readers that are configured like that (and can't be reconfigured) infuriate me. The only thing that is worse is when you have to swipe to turn page. Bloody skeuomorphism.
How am I supposed to turn page when holding the reader in a left hand?

Some people absolutely require page turn buttons, and it sounds like you are one of them. Very well -- we won't force you to buy my Kindle (I want to keep it anyway ) and you are perfectly welcome to choose an ereader based on whatever priorities you like.

The vast majority of people seem to prefer touchscreen navigation. Personally, I too find swiping (the other navigation method) to be perfectly satisfactory for one-handed navigation.

[RobertDDL]

Originally Posted by eschwartz

I don't know, what does your Pocketbook (according to profile) do? Hopefully at least the tap-to-turn...

Tap left or right margin to turn page forward. Tap left or right bottom corner to turn page back. (Swiping works too, and there are also two physical page turning buttons.) Tap left top corner to close book. Tap right top corner to add bookmark. Tap middle of the page to open menu. Not a bad system, I suppose, once you get used to it, but you need to know it.

[eschwartz]

Geez, that is unnecessarily complex.

I am guessing most people and use the buttons.